Is it better to do your SIP at the beginning of the month than the end of the month?

Stop worrying about the date of your SIP, instead be guided by the cycle of your cash flows, advises Ashutosh Gupta

If I invest in debt funds now, will my returns be closer to YTM or trailing returns?

The returns may not be as good as what we see in the trailing one-year returns but hopefully, not as low as what the YTM suggests either, says Ashutosh Gupta

Is it advisable for a first-time investor to invest in index funds?

Ashutosh Gupta talks about the benefits of index funds and why they can be a suitable option for a first-time investor

Start Early to Reap Benefits Later

Be it education or investing, there are many benefits of starting early, even when the destination seems far far away

How to be a billionaire

A thousand here and a thousand there and pretty soon you're talking about real money

How to choose a mutual fund

Mutual funds are meant to simplify the tasking of investing, but choosing the right one can itself intimidate many. Here's a primer to help you

SIPs - A habit to inculcate

Two subconscious habits that we could do without and one investment habit that we could do with

A beginner's guide to mutual funds

Here's everything a first time mutual fund investor needs to know and do

What the expense ratio of a fund tells you

To manage your money, a mutual fund charges you a fee. But how much can they charge you and how much is acceptable?

7 mistakes of your financial life

Here are a few common financial mistakes that you should avoid

How to really buy life insurance

Consider these five factors when buying life insurance

Why people will always love real estate

Financial investments, like mutual funds and stocks, beat real estate hands down, but there is at least one aspect where they lag behind

How to buy a mutual fund

If you are planning to start investing in mutual funds, here's a complete guide

The power of compounding

Compounding earnings can skyrocket small investments. We tell you how here

Balance sheet 101

A very simple financial statement, the balance sheet gives information about three things - the money available, outstanding loans and the difference between these two.

Difference between CAGR & XIRR

You can think of XIRR as nothing but an aggregation of multiple CAGRs

An early start is the best investment strategy

Many wait too long to start investing, and yet no strategy can quite beat the returns to be had from an early head start

How debt mutual funds work

A debt mutual fund purchases bonds and passes on the interest earned from them to its investors. Here's a primer

Balance sheet 101: Understanding equity

Insights into the equity part of the balance sheet to know what it communicates and how to make use of it

Simplified: Bitcoin

The Bitcoin craze is back. Here's all you need to know about Bitcoin and why you should avoid it.

What to look for in your fund statement

Here are six things that you should keep in mind while looking at your fund statement

Exit load in mutual funds

Exit loads are imposed to discourage premature withdrawals. Here's everything you need to know about them

Balance Sheet 101: Understanding assets

Let's delve deeper into the assets part of the balance sheet to understand what it communicates and how to make use of it

Just do the simple stuff

Keeping your investments simple means that you always understand what is happening and what you must do when things go wrong

Balance sheet 101: Understanding liabilities

Insights into the liabilities part of the balance sheet to know what it communicates and how to make use of it

The systematic methods: SIP, STP, SWP

These 3 terms are frequently used in the context of mutual funds. Learn what they mean and how you can benefit from these plans

Comparison of mutual funds and PMS

Dhirendra Kumar makes a case for mutual funds over PMS

Mutual fund cut-off time

You can invest in a mutual fund on any business day of the year but you may not get the same day's NAV

Annualised/Absolute Returns

I find returns confusing. Sometimes you talk about annualised returns, while many a time you mention absolute returns. What is the difference between the two?
-Vrijesh